(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved golf club heads, and in particular to golf club heads having the same exterior dimensions and different weights. The invention also relates to golf club putter heads having a resilient frontal section below the ball impact area.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A limited number of golf club heads are still made by metal forging in the case of irons, or machining and finishing blocks of wood in the case of woods. Most golf clubs, however, are now made by metal casting in which a powdered metal is packed into a mold and then sintered to form the head. A binder may be used to hold the metal particles together during molding, with the binder being removed during sintering, i.e., heating the metal to a temperature of about 2400° F. The weight of the club head may be changed without changing the dimensions of the golf club by using metals or metal alloys having different densities.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,830 to the current inventor discloses production of a golf club head by injection molding a smooth plastic sheath or covering around a metal insert, with the weight of the club being changed by using different metals for the insert. The insert may be cast or machined.
Production of golf club heads by the foregoing methods is expensive in the case of sintered heads, and provide limited latitude in weight adjustment. Thus, there is a continuing need for a relatively inexpensive method of manufacturing a golf club head, enabling the production of golf club heads with a wide range of weights, but with the same outer dimensions.
There is an additional need for an improved golf club putter head. Numerous designs have been proposed for golf putter heads that purport to enable the golfer to accurately putt the ball. Many of these prior art designs disclose the use of resilient inserts in the front surface of the putter so that the ball will be initially struck by the resilient insert instead of the non-resilient putter, which is normally metal as described above.
Most prior art descriptions of putters with resilient face inserts, allege that the insert improves the “feel” or “touch” of the putter against the ball, resulting in a more accurate putt. Resilient inserts are also said to enlarge the “sweet spot.” Since the resilient insert absorbs some of the impact of the club head against the ball, a ball struck with the same force as with a putter having an insert will not travel as far as a ball struck with a non-insert club head. Despite the large number of putters described in the prior art, there is still a need for a putter that will increase the accuracy of a putt without sacrificing the distance that the ball can be hit with a given force.